A Common Garden Rat
by Eibhlis
Summary: On the 31st of October 1981 Harry Potters life changed forever, but what effect did the tragedy in Godric's Hollow have on the perpetrator? The twelve years between the fall of Voldemort and Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban from the perspective of Scabbers, a common garden rat.
1. The Dark Lord Ascending

Chapter One The Dark Lord Ascending

The loud crack reverberated through the gardens of the old country house and could have been heard for miles around, if there was anyone around to hear the sharp clear clap as though a car was backfiring. No one saw the cloaked man appear out of thin air, no one saw him walk towards the wrought iron gates that opened before him as though by man in question, was a plump young wizard of about twenty years old or so, he had a round face and watery blue eyes, these along with his elongated nose and bucked teeth gave the man a rodent like appearance. Underneath the folds of his vast black cloak the wizard had thin sandy blonde hair that stuck to his face as he perspired. He ran up the steps of the Manor House, nearly falling over himself, he was so nervous, his heart was beating what felt like a million beats per minute and he knew that if he disappointed his master that it would not be beating for much longer. He knocked on the large serpentine brass knocker three times, it opened instantly revealing the sharp angular face and dark black eyes of fellow Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange.

"About time Pettigrew, the Dark Lord was getting impatient"

Peter stumbled in the door apologising profusely, as he was led down a long dark hallway and into a large dining room with a high ceiling, it reminded him of the great hall in Hogwarts, however this room was dark and daunting and full of tall dark men in robes and masks, they looked at Peter as he passed, he could feel their gaze judging him, sizing him up, they looked away, some laughed. But he was no competition, he was no threat, he was nothing. Peter would show them, he would show them all that he was just as powerful as they were,, he had what the dark lord wanted, he had the Potters.

Bellatrix led Peter out of the sombre chamber down a long dark hallway, the hall was decorated with portraits in gold glinted frames, of notable witches and wizards in the Malfoy and Black families. Peter felt as though the entirety of those ancient and noble houses were watching him as he made his way towards the dark lord. The likeliness of Brutus Malfoy gave him a particularly disdainful look as he approached. Peter vaguely remembered the man from his history of magic classes, he advocated the notion that witches and wizards who associated with muggles lacked magical talent. Peter let out a sort of manic laugh at the thought. All of his friends associated with muggles, and they were far more magically talented than he, in fact the most magically gifted person he had ever met was a muggleborn, yet here he was a wizard of meager magical talent associating himself with pureblood supremacists, the idea was they reached the end of the passageway Bellatrix knocked on the large wooden door thrice.

"Enter" said a deathly quiet voice on the other side of the door.

The door opened by itself to reveal a small sitting room lit only by the cackling fire, a man was seated on a high backed armchair facing the flames, beside him a matching armchair sat empty.

"Leave us Bella"

"But my lor-"

"Leave" and the door slammed itself shut in the hopeful face of Bellatrix Lestrange. Peter was alone. Not once in his twenty years had he ever been so scared, he was quaking beneath his robes and his face was soaked in a layer of thick he made his way towards the second armchair he began to twitch like a rat, a habit he had developed shortly after his successful transfiguration into an animagus, Peter was no longer human he began to adopt certain rodent characteristics in his human life and had adapted some human characteristics whilst in rat form, his nervous twitch was one of these.

"Welcome Wormtail, what news do you bring me"

This was it, the moment he had been dreading since Lily and James decided that he was to be their secret keeper, that he was the most trustworthy of their friends, the friend in which they have the up most trust in, when they made him their secret keeper they put the life of their only child in his hands, this was the moment were Peter could show that they had made the right choice, that he was a Gryffindor, that he was brave, that he would not bow to evil, but rather stand up for what is right and in doing so save the life of an innocent child, and the lives of his best friends.

But Peter Pettigrew was a coward, he always had been, he spent his Hogwarts days cowering behind bigger men. He sought out his friendship with James Potter on the first day on the Hogwarts express, the other boy was tall and confident, a pureblood wizard who commanded respect. When Rodolphus Lestrange and Evan Rosier, two Slytherin students stole Peters school bag and flushed it down the toilet on his first day James Potter stood up for him by sending a particularly nasty bat bogey hex right at an unsuspecting Lestrange, seeing that a fight was breaking out and eager to show the Slytherins a good jinx or two Sirius Black joined in by performing a jelly legs jinx on Rosier, and the rest is history. Funny to think that Peter now associated himself more so with the two boys who stole his bag than the two who stood up for him. But times have changed, there was a war and Peter was only doing what was necessary to survive. That's what he told himself as he spoke the words;

"They're in Godrics Hollow my lord, in James' parents house"

"Thank you Wormtail, you're betrayal is most valuable to me. Go to them, enjoy these last few hours with your friends, I'm afraid they shall be dead within a week" Voldemort stressed the word 'friend's as though goading Peter, to make him feel small like those Slytherin boys had done all those years ago, it was a reminder that Peter was a coward, and no amount of information or loyalty could change it.

"Yes my lord, thank you my lord"

"Leave me"

Peter remembering how the door had swung shut in the face of Bellatrix, practically ran from the room, falling over his feet as he tried to get out as quickly as possible, as he fell into the long dark hallway he felt as though the walls were closing in around him, his stomach was in knots and sweat was sticking to his face. He made his way quickly down the corridor and back into the dimly lit dining room, as the Death Eaters watched him leave he swore he could feel one pair of eyes staring at him more intensely than any other, one pair of eyes was following his every move as he made his way to the door. Peter longed to know the identity of the Death eater who was so curious about his role in the dark lords plans but their face was hidden behind the pale white skull mask the Death Eaters wore.

The front door opened in front of him and Peter stumbled down the stone steps of Malfoy Manor, inhaling the cold night air into his lungs, Peter thanked Merlin that he made it out of there, he gasped and spluttered, praying that he wouldn't be sick from the vile feeling of betrayal in his stomach. He began to walk briskly towards the apperation point, unable to think about the heinous crime he had just committed, images of Lily and James and little baby Harry danced before his proud look on James' face when he announced to his fellow marauders that he was going to be a father. The look on Lily's face when the midwife pulled the screaming child from her, her face which had seconds before been contorted in pain changed instantly to sheer elation when the mediwitch declared her child to be a boy. The look of awe and wonder on little Harry's face when his mother produced a birthday cake with a single candle in front of him, such innocence. Such love.

Peter shook the memories from his head, refusing to think about what he had done, this was survival. He ran through the gate and into the night his face streaked with tears for the friends he didn't deserve. He wiped his tear stained cheeks with his sleeve as he turned on his heel and disappeared.


	2. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs

Chapter 2 Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.

Apparating whilst upset and emotionally jarred is never a good idea, especially if the wizard in question is as clumsy and untalented as Peter Pettigrew. Peter stumbled against the front door of his mother's house struggling to open brass door handle with his hands so wet from sweat and rain. The street he had grown up on in Halifax was flooding from the sheer amount of rain falling heavily from the black sky. Although he was raised in a wizarding family, his father had remained in contact with his muggle relatives after attending Hogwarts and decided to raise his family in the muggle world. When Mr. Pettigrew died Mrs. Pettigrew, who was pureblood witch never moved back to the wizarding world. She was a quiet yet unstable woman, her husband's death shook her and she was never quite the same again. Peter was all she had left in the world, and he was often subject to her emotional breakdowns. As he stumbled in the door he heard his mother's voice calling from the sitting room.

"Peter!? Is that you?"

Mrs Pettigrew was a plump woman as a result of many lonely nights filled with comfort eating "Where were you I was worried sick! You could have flooed!" She fretted hysterically.

"I was off with Sirius,we just had a few drinks. There was no need to worry". He replied trudging past her towards his bedroom. She made to follow him but decided against it when she saw the look in his eyes and his defensive manner. Peter closed the door behind him, collapsing on his bed he began to sob uncontrollably, he was in deep and he knew there was no returning from what he had just done. His best friend would be dead within a week and he was solely blameful. Peter cradled himself to sleep, tears streaming down his face as he thought about times spent with people he could no longer call friends. Days passed before Peter received an owl from James.

Greetings Wormie!

How have you been? I'm sorry I haven't been writing but I've had my hands full with Harry the past couple of weeks, he's been learning how to walk and he's knocking over everything in his path! He's dangerous, I swear. Anyway I'm writing to ask if you would like to come over on Thursday night for dinner. Lily's making some kind of muggle dish, sounds pretty suspicious if you ask me but Sirius and Remus are coming too so it'll be a bit of fun. It'll be nice to get the gang together again, what do you say?

Prongs

He read the short letter over and over shaking as he did. Harry was walking, an image of a baby with raven black hair and green eyes stumbling around his friends sitting room swam before his eyes, and Peter felt guilt knowing that that baby would never grow up. And Lily, so beautiful and so kind. Her gentle soul would join her sons in their premature graves because of him. James was always the leader of the group, when Sirius would get angry and lash out it was always James who kept him grounded, it was James who was most there for Remus during his transitions and who's been helping him financially since they left school. It was James who defended Peter from the Slytherins time and time again, and Peter was stabbing him in the back.

He had to go, they would suspect something if he didn't, he was their secret keeper after all. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. To see their warm shining faces reminding him of his crime. As he sat on the end of his bed he thought about telling James everything, that Voldemort would be coming in a few days to kill him and his family and that they should get out now before he murders them. He grabbed some parchment and a quill from his desk before pausing, what would this mean for him? Certain death. Voldemort would not be merciful if Harry got away, of this Peter was certain. He had heard stories of what the Dark Lord had done to disloyal followers and blood traitors. So he wrote a different letter, he told James he would see him for dinner and that he was very much looking forward to seeing him. His stomach turned as he wrote, disgusted by his own lies. But all the time knowing deep down that this was the only way of survival.

The day of the meeting came quite quickly as unwanted events usually do. Peter apparated to the Potter's home in Godric's Hollow. He began to sweat nervously as he approached the cottage, concealed of course to muggles and all those who were not told of the location by Peter himself as the home was under the fidelius charm. Taking a deep breath Peter knocked three times in rapid succession, it was the marauders secret knock, so they would know it was him. The door swung open to reveal the ever beaming face of Lily Potter. Motherhood had softened her already kind face, she pulled Peter into a bone crushing hug.

"It's been ages! How are you? James! Peter is here!"

James Potter came into the hall holding his son in his arms, looking tired but none the less excited to see him. Parenthood had done a lot for James, he became a far more caring person. He handed Harry to Lily and embraced Peter before inviting him into the sitting room and offering him a glass of firewhiskey. Peter was always amazed by James' generous nature, although he was a show off and a bit spoiled James never hesitated to share with his friends, it was one of the traits Peter most admired in him.

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were sitting in armchairs by the fire discussing the previous full moon which had taken place three nights ago, this explained why Remus was looking so haggard. Peter was met with a pang of guilt looking upon his friends scarred face, he hadn't considered the effect his actions would have on Remus. He was relying on James to pay his rent as he couldn't hold down a job because of his condition, just another life he had ruined. Peter shook this thought from his head, Sirius was the heir to the Black fortune, he would never let Remus go hungry.

"What's wrong Wormtail? See a ghost?" Sirius's joking tone brought Peter back to the present, he shrugged him off with a nervous laugh and sat down on the couch. Peter sat awkwardly hunched over nursing his drink, as the two men discussed the current state of the war.

"Marlene McKinnon reckons You Know Who's been recruiting giants" said Sirius knowingly "Who's to say he won't go after other groups?" as he glanced warily at Remus.

"Enough of that kind of talk Sirius come on" said James as he walked into the room holding Harry's arms above his head as the toddler stumbled in on his chubby legs. "There's kids present"

The rest of the night past pleasantly, The adults were kept entertained by the continuous flow of firewhiskey and the antics of baby Harry. James tried multiple times to get Harry to say The Marauders nicknames but was unsuccessful. The group would erupt with laughter every time Harry said "Pafoo" or "Wurmail". For the first time since leaving Hogwarts Peter felt at home, a tear escaped his eye but this time it was a tear of joy and not woe. They were in hysterics from Sirius's renditions of their Hogwarts adventures. He recalled the time they set of a dozen dungbombs in the Slytherin common room, and the times they spent as anamagai exploring the Hogwarts grounds.

It wasn't until they wee hours of the morning that the group called it a night and went to their respective homes. As Peter left the house he gave Lily a kiss on the cheek and James a pat on the back, he struggled to find the words to tell them how much they meant to him, how much he appreciated their friendship and how sorry he was for what he had done. But the words choked in his mouth and he stuttered out his gratitude for the night and promised he would see them soon. He left in a hurry before his lies could overcome him, looking back briefly as he turned on his heel to catch the hazel eye of his best friend who he would never see again.


End file.
